STARTER KIT — The Tools I Wish I Had When I First Started Making Ramen

Introduction — Why a Starter Kit Exists

Contents

When I first started making ramen at home, I had no idea what tools truly mattered.

I bought things I didn’t need.
I skipped things I did need.
And I made my first bowls of tonkotsu, paitan and shio ramen with a mix of confusion and guesswork.

If you’re beginning your ramen journey, I want to save you from that.

This Starter Kit is simple:

The exact three tools I wish I had when I made my first bowls of ramen.
Nothing more. Nothing less.

These tools don’t make ramen for you —
but they make real, reproducible results possible.

What’s Inside the Starter Kit

For beginners learning ramen at home, you only need three essential tools:

  • A sharp Japanese knife
  • A stable, large cutting board
  • A digital kitchen scale

With these three items, you can prep confidently, season precisely, and build consistent bowls without guesswork.

1. Japanese Santoku / Gyuto Knife

(The Heart of All Ramen Prep)

A good knife changes everything.

Ramen requires more knife work than most people expect:

  • slicing chashu
  • prepping green onions
  • mincing aromatics
  • cutting toppings cleanly

A clean cut improves the texture, look and even flavor.

Why beginners struggle without it:
A dull knife crushes meat fibers, tears toppings, and slows you down.
It also makes prep unsafe.

What to look for:

  • balanced weight
  • sharp out of the box
  • easy to maintain
  • comfortable handle
View Knife

2. Large Cutting Board

(Your Workstation for Better Prep)

Small cutting boards are one of the biggest hidden enemies of home ramen.

When prepping pork shoulder, chicken thighs, aromatics or toppings, you need space to move.

Why it matters:

  • safer (no slipping)
  • faster (more workspace)
  • cleaner (less mess)
  • more professional workflow

Especially when slicing chashu, the stability of the board directly affects how beautiful each slice looks.

View Cutting Board

3. Digital Kitchen Scale

(The Tool That Makes Ramen “Reproducible”)

Ramen is ratios.

Tare concentration, salt levels, aroma oil, fat, seasoning —
even a difference of 2–5 grams changes the entire bowl.

A scale makes your ramen consistent.
Consistency = skills that actually improve.

What it helps with:

  • measuring tare
  • balancing aroma oils
  • noodle hydration
  • seasoning accuracy
  • toppings portions

This one tool prevents 80% of beginner mistakes.

View Scale

How These Three Tools Improve Your First Bowls

Here’s what a typical ramen prep looks like with the Starter Kit:

1. Slice chashu cleanly with a real knife

→ No tearing / no mangled edges
→ Beautiful presentation instantly

2. Prep toppings quickly on a large board

→ Less stress
→ Faster workflow
→ Safer, cleaner, more enjoyable

3. Measure tare & oils precisely

→ Salinity stays consistent
→ No accidental oversalting
→ You can actually repeat your best bowl

These three tools turn chaotic home ramen into an enjoyable, controlled process.

Why I Recommend Only Three Tools

There are many tools you could buy — pots, skimmers, thermometers, bone saws…
But beginners shouldn’t start there.

Your first goal is simple:

Make one good bowl of ramen consistently.

The Starter Kit gives you:

  • precision
  • safety
  • speed
  • cleaner workflows

…without overwhelming you.

Once you can confidently repeat your favorite basic bowl,
then you’ll naturally want to level up.

And you should — that’s where the next kit comes in.

What Comes After the Starter Kit?

If you’re ready to improve your broths — especially creamy tonkotsu or tori paitan —
the next upgrade is your “heavy tools”:

→ Tonkotsu / Paitan Kit

  • heavy-bottom stock pot
  • fine mesh skimmer
  • bone saw
  • instant-read thermometer

This is the setup that transforms your broth from “good” to “real Hakata-level”.

👉 View Tonkotsu / Paitan Kit
👉 See All Tools I Use
👉 How to Make Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen

Final Notes

This Starter Kit isn’t about buying gear.
It’s about removing the friction that prevents you from learning ramen properly.

A sharp knife, a stable board, and a precise scale —
with just these three things, even your first bowls will feel calm, controlled and intentional.

Use this kit to build the foundation.
Everything else becomes easier afterward.

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